


Someone Saved My Life Tonight

by RavensFan1989



Category: Halt and Catch Fire
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 06:52:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8239975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavensFan1989/pseuds/RavensFan1989
Summary: After saving Ryan's life, Joe and Ryan have gone back inside for a drink before bed.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation of "A Helping Hand," which can be found here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8228438

With Joe’s arm around Ryan’s shoulders and Ryan’s arm around Joe’s waist, they walked back inside together. They only reluctantly parted physical contact with each other so Joe could close the door behind them. Of all of the scenarios Joe had thought could happen, when he had asked Cameron to track down Ryan for him, this had not been one of them.

Joe proceeded further into the room and Ryan followed behind him. Making his way to the drink they both desperately needed necessitated him walking by the computer. He turned towards it and felt Ryan grab his wrist to prevent him from doing more than that.

“Don’t read it,” Ryan said, “Not tonight.” Everything that he had written would need to be talked about. He knew that. Just because he hadn’t gone through with what he had planned, it didn’t mean the last words he had planned on leaving the world didn’t matter or were any less true in his mind.

Joe offered him a smile. “I wasn’t going to.” He shook loose of Ryan’s grasp and turned off the monitor. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious what was there, but the last thing he wanted to do tonight was set Ryan over the edge again. “Sit,” he added, gesturing towards the couch.

While Ryan did just that, Joe opened up a bottle of whiskey and poured out two glasses. He handed a glass to Ryan and kept the other for himself. Joe took a seat next to him, throwing his free arm across the back of the couch.

Joe was one who liked to solve problems as quickly as they could be solved so he said, “I’ll call my lawyer tomorrow morning. You don’t have to turn yourself in right away but the sooner—“

“Stop, Joe. I don’t want to think about tomorrow tonight.”

He bit back the urge to mention how they should square away what was going to happen as quickly as they could. Instead, he replied, “Of course.”

And so they passed the minutes talking about anything but what was going to happen next for Ryan. And, with each passing minute, Joe could tell that Ryan was becoming more and more relaxed. He was more than glad to see that, even if he was unsure of how much of it was Ryan banishing all thoughts of ending his life from his head and how much of it was just the whiskey working on him.  
  
When they had run out of small talk and the bottle of whiskey was almost empty, it was time to get some sleep, which both probably needed even more than they had needed those drinks. Joe was the first to stand up, taking away the bottle and empty glasses. When he turned around, he saw Ryan unfolding the sheets and attempting to stretch them over the couch.  
  
Joe watched the amusing sight for a moment before speaking up. "What are you doing, Ryan?"  
  
Ryan looked at him as if he had just asked the dumbest question on the planet. "Going to bed."

He had thought it would be obvious but, while Ryan was a smart young man, that didn’t mean he couldn’t be oblivious in some areas of life. “Not on the couch.”

It took a moment for those four words to sink in. “Oh,” was all Ryan managed to utter. He flashed back to that day that he had first approached Joe…after searching too many beaches for him. He remembered the scars on Joe’s chest. He wondered what it would be like to trace them. He wondered…No. Joe had told him, in not so many words, that he didn’t need to wonder anymore.

Joe closed the distance between them and took Ryan’s hand into his own. He escorted him into his bedroom. He let go of Ryan. “We don’t have to do this, if you don’t want to,” he reassured him.

He nodded in appreciation. “I want to. I just…I just have never been with a man before…and never wanted to before I met you.”

Joe couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I have that kind of affect on many." But it was only Ryan he wanted. He just hadn't expected that their first time together would be under the circumstances they were under right now.  
  
Ryan took a few steps towards Joe and Joe closed the rest of the distance between them. Joe rested his hands on Ryan's hips and leaned down. Ryan cupped his cheek and closed his eyes as their lips met for the first time. It wasn't until they needed to take a breath that they broke apart.  
  
It was Joe who moved first to help Ryan out of his hoodie and then out of his shirt. This was even more nerve-wracking than the whole having to go into hiding thing had been. All he could do was keep on reminding himself that Joe knew what he was doing and that Joe had chosen to be with him, even though he could have had any man in the entire country.  
  
Their height difference prevented Ryan from being able to do more than lift up Joe's shirt only so much before Joe had to take care of it the rest of the way. Their lips met again and hands explored the freshly exposed flesh. Always maintaining some kind of contact with each other, they made their way to the bed. Ryan laid down and Joe straddled himself on top of him.  
  
Joe's lips moved down to Ryan's neck, while Ryan ran his hands through Joe's hair. Ryan could feel his pants beginning to tighten. This was really happening, right? He wasn't still on the balcony, some part of his mind conjuring all of this up to convince him that it was what could be if he didn't jump. It all felt real enough-too vivid to be all in his head.

Joe sat upright and began tugging down Ryan’s pants. Ryan’s first notion was to stop him. His nerves were screaming that this was all too much all too fast. But he pushed that thought aside and lifted himself off of the bed to make Joe’s task easier. His underwear came down with his pants. Ryan’s eyes remained fixed on Joe as Joe slipped out of his remaining clothes.

Ryan wanted to feel Joe's lips on his own again, but Joe had a different idea in mind. He stroked Ryan a few times, enjoying the moans that elicited from the younger man. He ran a finger over his tip before leaning down and exchanging that finger for his tongue. He then proceeded to take him fully into his mouth.  
  
Ryan's hands curled into the sheets. He didn't shy away from being vocal as Joe began to move up and down, varying his speed every now and then. He knew that he wasn't going to last long. He kept his eyes focused on the ceiling for a few minutes and then let them stray to watch Joe at work...to watch _Joe_ at work. That thought alone was enough to start sending Ryan over the edge. "I...I..." That was as much of a warning as Ryan could muster up right now.  
  
Joe got the message. He wasn't averse to swallowing but this wasn't a one-night stand. They would have all of the time in the world to get to know one another in the bedroom in every way imaginable. His hand took the place of his mouth. Ryan shuddered as he reached his end, covering his abdomen and Joe's hand.  
  
Joe didn't give Ryan a single moment to catch his breath. He moved up to kiss him and was going to start taking care of himself but, before he could, he felt Ryan's hand wrap around him. Joe didn't last long, and the kissing continued after everything else was done. He only rolled over onto his back next to Ryan when he decided that they both needed a breather.  
  
They laid that way in blissful silence for a few minutes. It was Ryan who first stirred. He rolled into his side and couldn't resist the urge to begin tracing one of Joe's scars. "I feel like I should say something," he said, "but also that nothing needs to be said."  
  
Joe laid his hand over Ryan's, stopping its progress along his scar. "Nothing needs to be said."  
  
Ryan, however, didn't feel like that was quite true. "Thank you...for saving me. I..." He wasn't sure what else to say. Words couldn't express how glad he was Joe had gotten up in time to save him from himself.  
  
He smiled at him. "I love you, Ryan," he asserted for the second time this night.  
  
Ryan returned his smile. "I love you too, Joe." He draped an arm across Joe's chest. He kept his eyes open for as long as he could, which wasn't long at all.  
  
Joe, who was always thinking about the future, was content to remain in the present right now.  Tomorrow would take care of itself. He soon joined Ryan in sleep.


End file.
